New Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)

CBET 4907 & MPEC 2021-A99, issued on 2021, January 10, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~19.5) by Gregory J. Leonard on CCD images taken on Jan. 3.54-3.56 UT with the Mount Lemmon Survey's 1.5-m reflector. The new comet has been designated C/2021 A1 (Leonard).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.

Stacking of 14 unfiltered exposure, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2021, January 6.4 from H06 (iTelescope network, New Mexico) through a 0.43 m f/4.5 Reflector + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 7" in diameter.

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version; made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott):

M.P.E.C. 2021-A99, assigns the following nearly parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2021 A1: T 2022 Jan. 3.3; e= 0.99; Peri. =  225.09; q = 0.6;  Incl.= 132.68

This comet has excellent brightness prospects for December 2021. In fact, before the perihelion on January 3, 2022, at a distance of 0.6 AU, comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will pass just 0.233 AU from Earth on December 12, 2021 and it will have an exceptionally close pass of Venus at 0.028 AU on December 18, 2021.

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) could potentially become a naked-eye object. Below you can see a graph generated using the software Orbitas and showing the predicted magnitude (in red) versus the maximum height (for Northern Hemisphere). (as always with comets, the future magnitudes reported here are only indicative). 

Below a graph showing the orbit diagram (made using the JPL Small-Body Database Browser) of comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) and its position on December 18, 2021.

by Adriano Valvasori & Ernesto Guido

Follow-up of recent NEOCP from OASDG L07 - Part II

Below you can find a new selection (part I available here) of some objects for which we recently made follow-up observations at the "Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola, ITALY" (MPC code L07; Observers E. Guido, A. Catapano, F. Coccia) while they still were on the NEOCP list. More details about the telescope, the  magnitude, number of images & exposition, asteroid speed & PA etc. are on the images. Click on each image for a bigger version. All the processing has been made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott.

COMET C/2020 V2 (ZTF), (neocp designation ZTF0G6I). Stacking of 25 unfiltered exposures, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, Nov. 19.1 from L07 (Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola) through a 0.5 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD, showed that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 7" in diameter and FWHM 3.3" compared to the average value of 2.1" for the stars of same magnitude.

 

2020 WH1 (neocp designation SaSza42) is an Apollo-type asteroid discovered by K88 GINOP-KHK, Piszkesteto, observer R. Szakats on November 17, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 33 m - 73 m (H=24.6) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 11.5 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.029 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 0824 UT on 09 Nov. 2020.

 

2009 WY7 (neocp designation Sar2518) is an Aten-type asteroid (First observed at Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico on 2009-11-19) recovered by K88 GINOP-KHK, Piszkesteto, observer K. Sarneczky on November 22, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 40 m - 90 m (H=24.1) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 20.17 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.05184 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 1104 UT on 24 Nov. 2020.

 

2020 WO3 (neocp designation C3ZZY12) is an Aten-type asteroid discovered by G96 Mt. Lemmon Survey on November 22, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 67 m - 150 m (H=23.0) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 40.26 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.10345 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 1911 UT on 28 Nov. 2020.

 

 

COMET P/2005 CR16 = P/2003 WR168 = P/2020 W2 (NEAT-LINEAR) - (neocp designation C3XUF62). It is a comet discovered in survey images taken by Mount Lemmon Survey (G96) obtained on Nov. 16 UT. Subsequent follow-up astrometry and improved orbits allowed the MPC to find prediscovery positions and link the object to multi-opposition minor planet 2005 CR16 = 2003 WR168.

 

2020 WW3 (neocp designation C417PE2) is an Aten-type asteroid discovered by G96 Mt. Lemmon Survey on November 24, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 20 m - 45 m (H=25.6) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 9.12 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.02344 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 0243 UT on 23 Nov. 2020.

 

 by Ernesto Guido

Follow-up of recent NEOCP objects from OASDG L07

Below you can find a selection of some objects for which we recently made follow-up observations at the "Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola, ITALY" (MPC code L07; Observers E. Guido, A. Catapano, F. Coccia) while they still were on the NEOCP list. More details about the telescope, the  magnitude, number of images & exposition, asteroid speed & PA etc. are on the images. Click on each image for a bigger version. All the processing has been made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott.

2020 VX5 (neocp designation C3WZUQ2) is an Apollo-type asteroid discovered by G96 Mt. Lemmon Survey on November 15, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 55 m - 120 m (H=23.4) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 29 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.074 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 1950 UT on 11 Nov. 2020.

2020 VN1 (neocp designation A10sCsG) is an Aten-type asteroid discovered by T05 ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala on November 10, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 7.3 m - 16 m (H=27.8) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 1.19 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.00306 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 0757 UT on 07 Nov. 2020.

2020 VF1 (neocp designation X71128) is a Centaur-type object discovered by D29 Purple Mountain Observatory, XuYi Station on November 08, 2020. At the discovery time it was at about 9.7 AU from the Sun.

2020 VM1 (neocp designation P219ias) is an Apollo-type asteroid discovered by F52 Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala November 08, 2020. This asteroid has an estimated size of 190 m - 420 m (H=20.8) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 73 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.18 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 2033 UT on 01 Nov. 2020.

by Ernesto Guido

Discovery of a Nova in M31 - M31N 2008-12a

Just few days after the discovery of the nova in M31 designated as AT2020xyv, we report our discovery of another possible nova in M31 on a 240-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2020 Oct. 30.91 UT with the 0.5 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD FLI PL4240 at MPC Code L07 (Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola, ITALY), with magnitude R = 18.48 +- 0.10 at coordinates: 

R.A. = 00 45 28.80, Decl.= +41 54 10.0 (equinox 2000.0; Gaia DR2). 

This transient PNV J00452880+4154100 has been independently discovered by Darnley et al. as reported on ATel #14130 of 31 Oct 2020; 07:32 UT and identified by them as the eruption of recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a.

Our discovery image of this transient (click on it for a bigger version):

 

M31N 2008-12a is a remarkable recurrent Nova in the Andromeda Galaxy with the "shortest interoutburst time of any known recurrent nova. Since its discovery in December 2008 by two Japanese amateur astronomers, Koichi Nishiyama and Fujio Kabashima, a total of 13 subsequent outbursts have been observed. The mean time between observed eruptions (all observed between late August and December) is 364+/-52 days". 

by Antonio Catapano, Ernesto Guido, Luca Izzo

Discovery of a Nova in M31 - AT2020xyv

A new M31 nova candidate was independently discovered on 2020 Oct. 21.741 (by K. Hornoch and H. Kucakova), on 2020 Oct. 21.92 UT (by A. Catapano, L. Izzo, E. Guido, A. Noschese, F. Coccia, L. D'Avino) and 2020 Oct. 22.550 UT (by M. Zhang and X. Gao) and designated as PNV J00423733+4120519 = AT2020xyv = M31N 2020-10e (ATel #14114). This possible nova was first reported on 2020 Oct. 22.56 by Zhang and Gao as a new source of G ~ 16.9 mag on CBAT "Transient Object Followup Reports" (TOCP PNV J00423733+4120519).

Spectroscopic observations of AT2020xyv (PNVJ00423733+4120519) were obtained with the 3.58m TNG telescope equipped with LRS at Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma (Spain) by L. Izzo et al. (ATel #14116). Observations started on October 24 at 01:12:54 UT and they consisted of three exposures of 600s each: "The combined spectrum (covering the range 3,500-8,000 AA, resolving power R = 585) shows bright emission lines of H-alpha and H-beta, the presence of O I 7773 and Fe II lines (multiplet 42 and blended multiplets 37 and 38). From the H-alpha profile, we measure an FWHM of ~4,000 km/s. H-alpha and H-beta lines show P-Cygni profiles (although not prominent) with a minimum at ~ -2,800 km/s. The spectrum is then consistent with a broad-line Fe IIb Classical Nova in M31".

On 2020 Oct. 22.6, we reported on the TOCP our independent discovery of this nova in M31 on a 180-s R-band CCD frame taken on 2020 Oct. 21.92 UT with the 0.5 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD FLI PL4240 at MPC Code L07 (Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola, ITALY) at the following coordinates:

R.A. = 00 42 37.33, Decl.= +41 20 52.1 (equinox 2000.0; Gaia DR2).

Our discovery image (click on it for a bigger version):

We have obtained daily BVR photometric observations of this nova with the 0.5m telescope at the Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola (Italy). We have first detected the nova in BVR images obtained on October 21.92 as a new object in M31 with a magnitude V = 17.70 +- 0.05 mag. The most recent observations of this nova were obtained by us on October 23.85, and we report the following magnitudes: B = 19.39 +- 0.32 mag, V = 18.11 +- 0.12 mag, R = 19.06 +- 0.15 mag.  

AT2020xyv Spectrum - Credit: L.Izzo et al. 

Nothing is visible at this position on our archival images taken on 2020, October 20.83 (limiting B-mag 21). Zhang and Gao reported an upper limits (G > 20.5 mag) in images obtained on October 21.55. Kucacova et al. reported in ATel #14114 the first detection of this nova in images obtained on October 21.74 as an object with R = 18.1 +- 0.2. 

On ATel #14117, Hornoch et al. reported the identification of AT2020xyv as a likely recurrence of M31N 1998-10b, and thus a recurrent nova in M31. Using the updated online catalogue of all historical optical novae and nova candidates in M31 (Pietsch et al. 2007), they found that the measured position of nova AT2020xyv = PNV J00423733+4120519 = M31N 2020-10e "is very close (1.2") to that reported for a nova, M31N 1998-10b, previously discovered as part of the Research-Based Science Education (RBSE) project (Rector et al. 1999). Based on the position of the nova, which is located at an isophotal radius of 8.2' from the center of M31, we compute the probability of a chance positional coincidence between these two novae to be less than 0.01%"


by A. Catapano, L. Izzo, E. Guido, A. Noschese, F. Coccia, L. D'Avino (OASDG; AstroCampania)

New Comet C/2020 S3 (Erasmus)

CBET 4885 & MPEC 2020-S119, issued on 2020, September 20, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~18.5) by Nicolas Erasmus (South African Astronomical Observatory), in four 30-s CCD images taken in 5" seeing on Sept. 17.6 UT with a 0.5-m f/2 Schmidt reflector at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, in the course of the "Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System" (ATLAS) search program. The new comet has been designated C/2020 S3 (Erasmus).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.

Stacking of 151 unfiltered exposures, 30 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, September 19.1 from L07 (Osservatorio Salvatore di Giacomo, Agerola) through a 0.5 m f/8 Ritchey Chretien + CCD FLI PL4240, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 20" in diameter.

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)

MPEC 2020-S119, assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2020 S3 (Erasmus): T 2020 Dec. 13.24; e= 1.0; Peri. =  349.09; q = 0.4;  Incl.= 19.79

While the orbit is still very preliminary, there is a chance that this comet will pass through the SOHO C3 fov starting from about December 16, 2020 (the visibility on C3 will depend also on the magnitude this comet will reach around perihelion; a vmag at least +8 is required to be visible in C3). Below you can see a graph showing part of the possible C3 passage (from Dec. 16 to Dec. 21, 2020; click on it for a bigger version). At the following link is available the animation, just press the play button to see it.

 

Made with Orbitsimulator

UPDATE - November 12, 2020

Below you can find another simulation A. Valvasori & E. Guido using the last orbital elements available for C/2020 S3 (Erasmus) and showing its passage in the SOHO C3 field of view (the red square in the simulation). This comet will pass through the SOHO C3 fov starting from about December 17, 2020 at 19UT. Click here or on the gif below to see a larger version.

by Ernesto Guido

New Comet C/2020 O2 (Amaral)

CBET 4822 & MPEC 2020-P10, issued on 2020, August 02, announce the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~18) by Leonardo S. Amaral (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) on three 60-s CCD exposures taken on July 23 with a 0.3-m f/4 reflector. The new comet has been designated C/2020 O2 (Amaral).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object while it was still on the PCCP webpage.

Stacking of 16 unfiltered exposures, 90 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2020, July 27.05 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.6-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a diffuse coma about 8" in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, M. Fulle, G. Milani, C. Nassef, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)

Discovery image

Credit: L. S. Amaral (OCA)

MPEC 2020-P10, assigns the following preliminary parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2020 O2 (Amaral): T 2021 Aug. 23.84; e= 1.0; Peri. =  9.39; q = 4.90;  Incl.= 71.89

Congrats to Leonardo Scanferla Amaral (Observatório Campo dos Amarais, OCA) for this discovery! This is the fourth amateur comet discovery of 2020.

by Ernesto Guido